How do you market to doctors digitally? What has been the best strategy? What are the best digital channels?

Please note: The answer to this question is based on the South African market, where I am based and what I know best. Similar channels can be used in other countries to the extent that they are available. The ideas below are suggestions and not intended to be exhaustive. It also focuses on existing affiliation groups as marketing channels, rather than creating new ones.

- Most countries have industry bodies to which the various clinical disciplines belong to (see http://www.hpcsa.co.za/ for example). You can consider a partnership with them.

- Privately managed databases of doctors (see www.medpages.co.za for example).

- Doctors networks or panels, as it is known in some countries (see www.primecure.co.za).

- Other online services used by doctors (see www.recomed.co.za for example).

- LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media

With the exception of the last one, using the others will likely require some sort of access or partnership with the owners/managers to the affiliation group.

Hope this helps. Welcome to call (+27836477445) or mail (gabrie@mildandmax.com) me if you want to discuss.

Specialty Segmentation: I would ask what type of "doctors" are you marketing to? MD, DO or perhaps PA's, NP's or ND's? Also are you looking to market to primary care, specialty, employed, private practice? Rural or Urban? Hospital-based or community outpatient based? Depending on your target market there are a variety of affinity groups you could then look to, all of which have various digital channels. An example would be radiologist (physicians who interpret medical imaging exam). They have many online forums they use frequently such as Auntminnie.com. The site has advertising, industry articles, and blogs. This might be the right place to target radiologists. Happy to have a conversation to help you think more about segmenting and targeting.

What a great question! As with other answers, there are many kids of physicians, primary care vs specialists, urban vs rural, hospital employed vs private practice. You will want to target early adopter physician’s if you have a relatively new product. Are you selling software? Hardware? Is FDA approvals necessary for your product? If it is a Health IT product have the necessary certifications been completed? In the case of the hospital employed physician, you will want to understand how the organization is run. Is it a physician led organization? Are physicians even the decision makers for purchases? Does the organization have a RFP process? Is there a vendor form on their website to take a preliminary step towards a sale? Who are the actual decision makers for the practice? Don’t discount the importance of an office manager or other clinical personnel to influence the physician. What kinds of publications does your particular physician read? Is he a member of Doximity? Linked in? Facebook? Modern Healthcare? Health IT news? What professional organizations and trade shows does he attend? At the end of the day, there is no substitute for a well thought our content strategy in which you create evergreen content which resonates and educates the physician about his critical area of interest. Have customers and case studies he can access. In short, selling anything to a physician in the value based care area is HARDER THAN EVER. You have to build a great team, product and simply be awesome, and do incredible things for patients. Best of luck and let me know if I can provide more color to your quest.

I’d look into Doximity — it’s the LinkedIn for doctors.